WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2013 - THE ROCKPORT PILOT - PAGE 5A History Mystery people As I recall Senior trip taken by students This photo of the Del Mar Hotel was featured on a post card. What caused fire at Del Mar hotel? By KAM WAGERT Friends of History Center John Traylor, a civic leader and politician in Aransas County, built the Aransas Hotel in 1889. It took up an entire city block, and was three stories high. At the time, it was the largest wooden structure in Texas. It boasted more than 100 rooms, and most of the bedroom furniture was made by convicts at the Huntsville prison. The huge open dining room could seat 200 people. Guests were entertained by orchestras, plays, and Professor Attwater’s mounted bird display. They could take a cruise in Traylor’s yacht, or walk on the long pier in front of the hotel out to the Bailey Pavilion. The hotel guests could dine on such delicacies as turtle steaks, Taft ranch beef, and fresh seafood. The hotel had its own bakery, which provided fresh breads and pastries daily. There was even a grand ball every Saturday night. The hotel was remodeled and renamed the Del Mar Hotel in the mid 1890s. By 1906, the structure had deteriorated and was abandoned. Then on March 2, 1919, a fire broke out. Several sources reported the fire lasted for a week. One legend has been told of the roof, on fire, being carried by the wind out into Copano Bay where it burned several days. Men came in their little boats and fished, some say floundered with gigs, by the light of the burning roof. But the mystery remains, what caused the fire? Was it someone smoking or playing with matches? Could it have been arson? I guess we will never know the answer. AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE NEWS By Kirsten Corda FCS County Extension Agent All encouraged to play this summer It’s July and everyone knows someone planning a picnic or pool party. The weather is perfect, sweltering, but enjoyable under the live oaks; and, the fishermen are doing their best to provide for their family and friends. I would be disappointed if the kids attending the Foods and Nutrition Project at the AgriLi e tension ervice o ice could not identi y at least ive potential food hazards and food safety controls in this scenario and tell us who is at the greatest risk for foodborne illness this summer. Can you? I will admit as your Family & Consumer Sciences Agent I am overly cautious eating food at parties, especially about cooking temperatures and holding times of food cooked outdoors. I also lose my appetite when faced by an over-abundance of food and beverages which I fear as excess of calories tempting me like the devil. Contrary to what you may believe, we do not burn them off lounging at the beach. (It is dehydration. The weight comes back the moment you leave Aransas County.) Call me a party pooper, the “food police,” or worse. It hurts, but invite me to your next party, I will bring the vegetable dish to absolve you all. It happens, however, I get caught photographed with a wine glass in hand or barbecue sauce on my face and my reputation is questioned. For example, some readers may have recognized me in the news proudly displaying a Pirates’ Landing staff medallion among the program’s Leadership Team. Call it wistfulness on my part. Nearly three times the age of some amazing high school role models, I only wanted to be one too, but parents were not buying it and asked, “How can you justify serving pizza and soda to our kids?” Guilty as charged. Believe me, it is my job to find teachable moments everywhere. With regard to nutrition and physical activity, the organizers of Pirates’ Landing, Adelaide and John Marlatt, are doing it right. Their approach: kids are kids. They come for the pizza and come back for the socializing in a safe environment. They found in the summer without the organization of school, playing in a safe environment is not available to kids. I am especially happy by the number of 4-H members who have been attracted to this program because I know these are “good kids,” and like the staff leaders, they are who I would want my own kids hanging out with on a Friday or Saturday night. For three hours a week, kids get a chance to play. One parent thought she would chaperone her son quickly found to stay means to play. The principal task of the staff and adult volunteers is to motivate. There are no “cut” rules and an “I can’t” attitude is forgiven and forgotten. Halfway through the evening, the kids have to be reminded to take a break and eat pizza. Yes, pizza, dripping in cheese, but portion controlled age appropriate he price of admission ($2) also includes one canned soda, but noncarbonated punch and water are offered as alternative choices. If you do the math, one hour playing Ultimate Ping Pong burns equivalent to the two slices of pizza and two brownies, a favorite homemade by Adelaide. Another hour of Wii sports, without cheating, negates the soda and another brownie. Without realizing it, we have balance - our food and play have been balanced, in other words, calories in equal calories out. This is why I am at Pirates’ Landing and invite all of you to attend too. 24-Hour Emergency Service Licensed & Insured Thomas Martinez Proudly Serving the Community since 1973 INSTALLATION & REPAIR of all Residential & Commercial Plumbing PLUS GAS, WATER & SEWER LINES We have recently passed through the school graduation season. In the town where I live now there were about 250 seniors graduating from high school. This reminded me of my own graduation. In my small West Texas town, we had 19 seniors in my graduating class, 12 boys and seven girls. We did something, As I Recall, most schools in West Texas did at the time. We took a “senior trip” immediately after the graduation exercises. I don’t know if the schools in my area of West Texas still allow their graduates to take a school-sponsored trip. I have lost touch with what they do in those schools. We were very ambitious in planning for our trip. We worked for the four years of high school earning the money needed. We did everything from bake sales to collecting garbage for the town government to raise the money we needed. The school allowed us to take the trip, but the oard o ducation would not und the trip When my older brother graduated eight years before I did, his class took a trip across Texas, finally ending at Galveston where they could swim in the Gulf of Mexico. Our class went to Colorado. From leaving home to returning, we were gone nine days. We had a chartered bus taking us to Santa Fe, NM, and then north into Colorado. We visited most of the famous tourist sites in Colorado. We had adult sponsors who accompanied us. One was a teacher and his wife, and there were a few others. One parent of a student in our class went with his wife and two elementary-age children. This angered some of us because this family went at our expense. We grumbled the whole time because we felt this family was getting a free vacation. I do remember an interesting situation. When we boarded the chartered bus at our school, I was the first to sit in one of the seats. I found a wallet stuffed down in the space between the two seats. When I looked at it, I found there was no identification whatsoever in the wallet. But it did have some money. I think there was $30 or so. This was a windfall I never told anyone about until right now. I knew since the owner could not be identified, the money would go into the class treasury if I mentioned it. So I kept quiet. I don’t know if it was wrong, but this is what I did. All our expenses, except for a few meals, were paid from the money we had raised. When we got almost all the way home, our president and treasurer found we still had some money left, so they made an allocation of the balance to the class. Fifty-seven years later, I don’t recall how much the allocation was, but it was a surprise. I have fond memories of this trip. Birthdays PRESTRIDGE Will Prestridge told his sister Lillie, “I’m already a grownup. I’m three now.” Helping him celebrate his third birthday were his parents, Charlotte and Jesse Prestridge of Wetumpka, AL; his grandparents, Heather and Charles Miller, his aunt Darlene Miller; his great-grandmother Lillie Miller of Aransas Pass; his great-grandmother Jane Johnson of Corpus Christi; and his paternal grandparents Jan and Dee Prestridge of Montgomery, AL. SHOP LOCAL ... It just makes cents! DUGAN EYE INSTITUTE NEW No-Stitch Cataract Surgery Lasik Laser Surgery & Implant Surgery Glaucoma & Diabetic Laser Surgery 361-884-8878 • 1-800-622-3056 1333 3rd St. • Corpus Christi BEHIND SPOHN HOSPITAL How well do you know Texas? 3. The Texan who was famous By DONALD WHISENHUNT for his two-sided knife and who Guest columnist died at the Alamo was James ach wee this column will Bowie. have several questions to test 4. The name of the feud in your knowledge about Texas. Fort Bend County in 1888-89 Some questions will be histori- for control of the county was the cal in nature, but others will deal Jaybird-Woodpecker Feud. with geography, culture, sports 5. The Texas State Park in and current events. Bastrop County near Smithville All of them will be designed is Buescher State Park. for you to test your knowledge This week’s questions of Texas. See how many ques1. What is the name of the tions you can answer without national seashore along the Gulf loo ing them up ach wee the Coast in South Texas? column will begin with answers 2. In which Texas town has to the previous week's questions. the “Chick o Stick” candy been Good luck. We hope you score manufactured since the 1930s? 100 percent each week. 3. Patrick Swayze, the actor Answers to last week’s famous for “Dirty Dancing” was questions born in which Texas city? 1. The logjam on the Red 4. Where did the provisional River known as “Great Raft” had government of the Republic of its impact on navigation in the Texas first meet in 1836? historic Texas town of Jefferson. 5. What was the name of the 2. Actors Dennis and Randy Spanish mission established in Quaid were born in Houston. Victoria in 1722? Lions Club installs new officers Mike Olszewski, Lions District governor, presided over the installation of directors and officers for the Rockport Lions Club upcoming fiscal year held at the annual dinner meeting. Newly-elected club officers are: Russ Mumaw, president; Loyd Garcia, 1st vice president; Maria Seaman, 2nd vice president; Patricia Lizcano, secretary; Dwight dens, treasurer hester Barre, Tail Twister; Rosemary Setterbo, Lion Tamer. Directors for the coming year are Dennis Augustine, Magda Augustine, Murray Leeper, and Lynn McGee. Highlighting the event was a recap of the previous year’s community service activities, presented by outgoing club president Jim Friedel. He talked about the two major fundraising projects - the sale of Turkey Legs at Oysterfest and the spring raffle. The funds raised by these two projects enabled the club to provide $1,000 scholarships to two 2013 graduates from Rockport-Fulton High School. Additionally, money was given to several of the projects sponsored by Lions International, primarily to serve the blind and visually impaired. Special recognition was given to Magda Augustine for her cookie sales, which realized $1,000 for a scholarship and $800 to Toys For Kids. Toys for Kids is a long-time community service project sponsored by the Lions Club. Toys for Kids in 2012 provided 1,000 toys for 145 families and 343 children. Club members Ike and louise oling administer the Toys for Kids project. Barbara Spear was recognized for her production and sale of hand-crocheted caps and scarves. Proceeds from her sales were given to Leader Dogs and Guide Dogs for the Blind. Lions International is celebrating 96 years of service with more than 45,000 clubs in more than 200 countries. The vision state- ment of the organization is - To be the global leader in community and humanitarian service. The Rockport Lions Club is always seeking new members who share the desire to serve the community. Contact membership co-chairs Friedel at 7279516 or Spear at nicky78381@ yahoo.com for information about how you can become involved with this group of people caring for their community. Goliad Market Days in beautiful Goliad, Texas • 361-645-3563 SATURDAY, JULY 13 9 AM - 4 PM on the Historic Courthouse Square OVER 170 BOOTHS FILLED WITH: • • • • • Also, visit our charming retail stores and restaurants around the square! www.goliadcc.org Aransas Firearms OFFERING Concealed Handgun Classes! 361-645-3579 • Price includes photos, notary, range fees PLUS course materials. Hello B UY ~ S ELL ~ T RADE Here is a proof of the ad to run July & 10 Firearms - Optics - 6Accessories Please call, fax orGun email approval. Indoor Range Now Open Thanks, TinaHwy. 35 N. • Fulton • 729-6556 3215 The Rockport Pilot Anthony Tate, TX CHL Instructor [email protected] Tyler Tate, TX CHL Instructor - NRA Pistol Instructor aransasfirearms.com ph: 361-729-9900 fax: 361-729-8903 Calling all Pirates!! The Pirates’ Landing OPEN EACH WEEKEND thru AUGUST 10th 301 Hwy 35 N., Rockport (Presbyterian Church Youth Center) U PCOMING S CHEDULE … HIGH SCHOOL FRIDAY NIGHTS July 12: 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. Basketball 3x3, or shooting. Wii Sports, Dance & Go-cart Racing “big on the wall”+ Dodge ball, crazy games & fun – Hot dogs, cold drinks & dessert. After we eat … it’s time for ULTIMATE PING-PONG! Then we’ll plan for future events. MIDDLE SCHOOL SATURDAY NIGHTS July 13: 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Basketball 3x3, or shooting.Wii Sports, Dance & Go-cart Racing “big on the wall”+ Soft Dodge ball, crazy games & fun – Hot dogs, cold drinks & dessert. July 19: No event - gym in use. July 19 (Friday night): Overnight Lock-in – Pirates Landing partners with Agri-Life to host MS Pirates to an overnight event pen to the first registrants only Check FACEBOOK for details. July 26: SUPER GAME NIGHT!!!! July 27: SUPER GAME NIGHT!!!! Open to HS & Middle School students of Aransas County. Door Admission $2 – REGISTRATION REQUIRED! Check Facebook – The Pirates’Landing for more info & forms. The Pirates’ Landing Summer REC Center, 301 Hwy 35 N. • Rockport For more information, Visit our Facebook page, email [email protected] or call 361-729-0520 CHECK US OUT – – SHARE the FUN … Bring 2 Friends and ADMISSION is FREE for ALL of YOU!